Cable connector



April 21, 1964 R. E. LOCHER 3,129,996

CABLE CONNECTOR Filed April 6, 1962 INVENTOR P055 E. LOCHER BY HISATTORNEYS HARRIS, K/ECH, Russzu. 8: /(ER- United States Patent 3,129,995CABLE CfiNNECTGR Ross E. Locher, South Pasadena, (Iahi, assignor toZinsco Electrical Products, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation ofCalifornia Filed Apr. 6, 1962, Ser. No. 1ss,72s 2 Claims. (Ql. 339-249)This invention relates to electrical cable connectors whicare usedprincipally for connections with high current capacity to terminalboards, switch boxes and the like, although the connectors are suitablefor any electrical cable connection. Circuits with a plurality of cablesin parallel are being used extensively for high current applications inplace of a single very large cable. It is desirable in multiple cablecircuitry to be able to connect al of the cables at one terminal and inone operation. Normally a multiple cable circuit will use two or threecables but the practice is not limited to any specific number of cables.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cable connectorwhich may be used to connect a plurality of cables to a bus bar or otherterminal device. A further object is to provide such a connector whichis particularly suitable for use with large diameter cables, in therange of one-half inch diameter and up, and one which will providedesirable large mechanical clamping forces on the cables. Another objectis to provide such a connector in which the clamping force is obtainedby actuating a single device Which provides equal clamping forces oneach of the cables coupled thereto.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector forelectrical cables including a terminal member having a plurality ofcable-receiving openings therethrough adjacent an end thereof, abifurcated or U-shaped sliding member positioned over said terminalmember with the arms of said sliding member having alignedcablereceiving openings therethrough and alignable with cablereceivingopenings of the terminal member to provide a plurality of sets of alined openings, and screw means carried in a threaded opening in one ofthe members for applying a force to the other of the members for movingthe sliding member relative to the terminal member and clamping a cablein each of the sets of aligned openings. A further object is to providesuch a connector including a retainer coupled to the terminal member andto the sliding member for retaining the members together when a cable isnot being clamped therein.

it is a particular object to provide such a connector in which thesliding member comprises first and second arm units and a nut unitpositioned between the arm units and having end portions engaging matingopenings in the arm units, with the arm units carrying thecable-receiving openings and with the nut unit carrying the screwpositioned at the end of the terminal member.

It is an object of the invention to provide a connector for a pluralityof electrical cables which connector is rugged, durable, simple indesign and operation, and adapted for repeated use while providing largeand equalized mechanical loads on each of the cables connected thereto.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novelcombinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear inthe course of the following description. The drawing merely shows andthe description rnerely describes a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention which is given by way of illustration or example.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the cableconnector;

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FIG. 2 is a side view of the connector of FIG. 1 showing two cablesclamped therein;

FIG. 3 is an end View of the connector of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional View taken along the line 55 of FIG. 3;and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 2.

The connector illustrated in the drawings includes a terminal member lilshown here as an L-shaped piece or" electrical bus bar ailixed toanother conductor bar 11 by screws 12. Of course, the terminal member 10could be merely formed at the end of the bar ll or could take otherconvenient shapes. A plurality of openings 13 is provided in theterminal member 1'8 for receiving the electrical cables which are to beconnected to the terminal member. Any number of openings may beutilized.

A sliding member 16 is positioned over the terminal member and 1.1C1Ud35arms 17, 13 on either side of the terminal member with openings l9, 29therein, respectively, corresponding to the openings 13 in the terminalmember. The sliding member 16 may be made in one piece, normallyU-shaped, but preferably is made of two arm units corresponding to thearms 17 l8, and a nut 21 which is joined to the arm units. The nut maybe a cruciform shape as seen in FIG. 5, with bosses 22, 23 project ingthrough corresponding openings 24, 25 m the arms 17, 1 .8. The nut 21and arms 17, Iii-3 may be joined by various conventional means, as bypeening over the ends of the bosses as seen in FIG. 2.

A screw 28 is positioned in a threaded opening in the nut 21 andpreferably has a rounded end for engaging an end of the terminal member.A retainer 29 may be provided in the connector for retaining theterminal member and sliding member together prior to the clamping of acable therein. A pr ierred form of the retainer is best seen in FIG. 6and includes a first yoke 30 enclosing the nut 21 and a second yoke 31engaging a wedge-shaped end 32 of the terminal member ll), the yoltes3t), 31 being joined together as by spot welding. A clearance opening 33is provided in the upper end of the retainer for the screw 23. When aretainer of the form shown herein is utilized, the screw 23 actuallyengages the retainer but the force is transmitted directly to the end ofthe terminal member.

In use, the cable connector of the invention may be fixed to a bus barin a terminal box or the like as shown in FIG. 1. The screw 28 isadjusted to bring the cablereceiving openings of the arms of the slidingmember into alignment with the cable-receiving openings of the terminalmember, as best seen in FIG. 4. Cables 49, 41 are inserted into the setsof aligned openings as seen in FIG. 2. In the particular exampleillustrated herein, two cables having over-all conductor diameters inthe order of threequarters of an inch are being used. Normally cables ofthis size will comprise a plurality of strands of smaller conductors,but of course the connector could be used with solid cables. After thecables are positioned in the connector, the screw 28 is rotated to movethe sliding member upward with respect to Le terminal member forclamping the cables in the aligned openings, as seen in FIG. 6. Whiledescribed herein as a device for connecting cables to a bus bar or thelike, the connector is equally applicable for interconnecting two ormore cables.

The cable connector operat s to provide a very strong mechanicalclamping force on each of the plurality of cables clamped therein. Theconnector also provides equalization of clamping forces on each of thecables while requiring operation of only a single screw. The highlydesirable objectives of the invention are thus accomplished.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the invention I claim as myinvention: 1. In a connector for electrical cables, the combination abar-shaped terminal member having a plurality of cable-receivingopenings therethrough adjacent a Wedge-shaped end thereof with the axesof said openings parallel;

a U-shaped sliding member positioned over said terminal member with thebight of said U at said end of said terminal member, with the arms ofsaid sliding member having aligned cable-receiving openings therethroughand alignable with cable-receiving openings of said terminal member toprovide a plurality of sets of aligned openings, said sliding membercomprising first and second arm units and a nut unit positioned betweensaid arm units and having end portions engaging mating openings in saidarm units; a retainer having a first yoke enclosing a portion of saidnut and a second yoke enclosing said Wedge-shaped end for retaining saidmembers together; and a screw carried in a threaded opening in said nutunit for applying a force on said end of said terminal member for movingsaid sliding member relative to said terminal member and clamping acable in each of the sets of aligned openings.

2. In a connector for electrical cables, the combination a terminalmember having a plurality of cable-receiving openings therethroughadjacent an end thereof with the axes of said openings parallel;

a U-shaped sliding member positioned over said terminal member with thebight of said U at said end of said terminal member, With the arms ofsaid sliding member having aligned cable-receiving openings therethroughand alignable with cable-receiving openings of said terminal member toprovide a plurality of sets of aligned openings, said sliding membercomprising first and second arm units and a nut unit positioned betweensaid arm units and having end portions engaging mating openings in saidarm units;

a retainer coupled to said nut and to said terminal member for retainingsaid members together; and

a screw carried in a threaded opening in said nut unit for applying aforce on said end of said terminal member for moving said sliding memberrelative to said terminal member and clamping a cable in each of thesets of aligned openings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,154,689 Matthews et al Apr. 18, 1939 2,329,998 Meyer Sept. 21, 19432,654,815 Laverty Oct. 6, 1953 2,738,479 Gibson Mar. 13, 1956 2,877,443Bonnett et a1 Mar. 10, 1959 2,949,597 Nerlich Aug. 16, 1960 2,967,290Zeller Jan. 3, 1961 3,020,514 Butler Feb. 6, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS888,909 France Sept. 20, 1943

2. IN A CONNECTOR FOR ELECTRICAL CABLES, THE COMBINATION OF: A TERMINAL MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF CABLE-RECEIVING OPENINGS THERETHROUGH ADJACENT AN END THEREOF WITH THE AXES OF SAID OPENINGS PARALLEL; A U-SHAPED SLIDING MEMBER POSITIONED OVER SAID TERMINAL MEMBER WITH THE BIGHT OF SAID U AT SAID END OF SAID TERMINAL MEMBER, WITH THE ARMS OF SAID SLIDING MEMBER HAVING ALIGNED CABLE-RECEIVING OPENINGS THERETHROUGH AND ALIGNABLE WITH CABLE-RECEIVING OPENINGS OF SAID TERMINAL MEMBER TO PROVIDE A PLURALITY OF SETS OF ALIGNED OPENINGS, SAID SLIDING MEMBER COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND ARM UNITS AND A NUT UNIT POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID ARM UNITS AND HAVING END PORTIONS ENGAGING MATING OPENINGS IN SAID ARM UNITS; A RETAINER COUPLED TO SAID NUT AND TO SAID TERMINAL MEMBER FOR RETAINING SAID MEMBERS TOGETHER; AND A SCREW CARRIED IN A THREADED OPENING IN SAID NUT UNIT FOR APPLYING A FORCE ON SAID END OF SAID TERMINAL MEMBER FOR MOVING SAID SLIDING MEMBER RELATIVE TO SAID TERMINAL MEMBER AND CLAMPING A CABLE IN EACH OF THE SETS OF ALIGNED OPENINGS. 